Ranger's Apprentice Book 3: The Icebound Land

Title: Ranger's Apprentice Book 3: The Icebound Land
Author: John Flanagan
Rating: Three Guitars

Sizzilin' Summary:
Will and Evanlyn were captured, and taken across the sea to the land of Skandia. There, they are forced to be slaves. But then Will is turned into a warmweed addict, losing all of his will, and mind. The concerned Skandian who captured the two teens immediately doesn't like this, and helps the two escape to a hunting cabin in the mountains. It is winter, so there is no chance of discovery. But now Evanlyn has to get Will back to normal, before spring, when there is a high possibly of them being discovered. But will Evanlyn get Will back to normal, or are they both doomed?
Meanwhile, Halt is extremely worried about his apprentice. Duties are keeping him from keeping his promise of rescue to Will... so he gets himself banished for a year! He is immediately banned from the Ranger Corps, too. He uses this so he can go and get Will. But he isn't going alone. Will's friend Horace is coming along too. But in the land of Gallica, Horace's natural skill with a sword becomes well-known, and they fall into the clutches of an evil warlord living in the land who wants to use Halt for his own cruel purposes. He takes them captive to his castle, and takes their weapons. Will they escape this cruel man at all?

Rockin' Review:
This book was a low point in this series. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't exactly lovable. During a lot of the book, Will is out because of the warmweed addiction. During those parts, we mainly see through Evanlyn's eyes. The parts of book with Halt and Horace were pretty good, and we get to know Halt better, which I think is nice.
The thing that Mr. Flanagan actually did right was make us feel how terrible Will's warmweed addiction was. It made me horrified. I know good authors make their characters suffer, which he did during Will's slave life before the warmweed, but I believe it got too far when he made Will an addict. It basically made him a side character for the rest of the book! This is not a good idea to do with your Main Character. Totally not cool! I think the parts with Halt and Horace made up for this a bit, but this was still only an average book, and definitely not my favorite in this series.

Ranger's Apprentice Book 2: The Burning Bridge

Title: Ranger's Apprentice Book 2: The Burning Bridge
Author: John Flanagan
Rating: Four Guitars

Sizzilin' Summary:
War is on the horizon. The King sends a party to a nearby to get help from a neighboring kingdom. This party includes Will, Horace, and Gilan. But they soon discovered that most of their neighboring kingdom is deserted... Morgarath has taken the miners captive, and killed the rest, or driven them to a city that's now trapped. The squad also picks up a girl named Evanlyn.
But after Gilan goes ahead to tell the king, the teenage trio soon find out a secret: a bridge crossing a previously uncrossable canyon. This problem could win the war for Morgarath, so Will decides to burn the bridge.
But even if he does, there may be no escape from capture. Then more problems arise. Gilan finds out that Evanlyn is secretly the king's daughter! Morgarath plans a trap for the King's army. And then Horace faces the biggest challenge of his life...

Rockin' Review:
This one was written much like the first. I also really liked this one. Flanagan also does a better job telling us who's eyes we were looking through in each part of the book. Good job, Flanagan!
The book ends on a bad note, but it has a promise attached to it. That wasn't great... but almost perfect for a series! In fact, I was lucky I had the third book. It clawed my heart so much, and I so wanted to find out what happened to the main characters, I immediately started reading the next book. Though it would have been bad any other time, this time putting that bad note in was almost perfect! That was impressive.
I liked this book. It's rockin'!!! But I also suggest getting the next book before reading this one, so the yearning for finding out what happens doesn't overload your mind!

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

Title: Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
Author: Nahoko Uehashi
Rating: Four Guitars

Sizzilin' Summary:
Balsa is a female bodyguard. Despite her gender, she is an high-level fighter. She is on a quest to repay for eight lives that had been killed to protect her... that had been friends of her dead foster father/sensei. She also helps the little people.
But her new job has deadly turns. She is to guard the Second Prince Chagum. But it seems like Chagum is the Moribito, the Guardian of the Spirit. In him is the egg of the water spirit, Nyynga Ro Im. But, due to political reasons, the prince's own father is after him, as well as a second major power in the kingdom: the Star Readers! Luckily, Balsa has some old friends who are more than willing to help.
But things are only getting started. A monster, the egg eater called Rarunga, is after the egg in Chagum. Balsa and her friends have to guard Chagum until the midsummer solstice, or else the prince's homeland of New Yogo will be caught in a terrible drought!

Rockin' Review:
I really enjoyed this book. The action was good, and yet it had a deeper story within. The writer did a very good job with this book. I can see why it was turned into an TV show. I did feel like Uehashi could have done better with explaining the prince's feelings during his leaving. But, otherwise, I really enjoyed this book, and suggest it!

H.I.V.E.--The Higher Institute of Higher Education

Title: H.I.V.E.--The Higher Institute of Higher Education
Author: Mark Walden
Rating: Three Guitars

Sizzilin' Summary:
Otto Malpense is only a teen, but he has already done amazing things. He has taken over the orphanage that is his home, and put the Prime Minister in a bad position. He is also extremely smart for his age, seeming to almost absorb knowledge from books.
These talents are what gets him kidnapped, and taken to H.I.V.E., a school meant for raising super-villains! Soon, Otto and his new friend, Wing Fanchu, and two girls plan their escape from H.I.V.E., which is against the rules, and dubbed impossible.
But even if their escape attempt fails, a new threat arises the night of the escape attempt: a monster plant that will destroy H.I.V.E. unless stopped!

Rockin' Review:
This book was okay. The beginning was okay, but you have to get past the first few chapters. Then there was a crazy drop. We were all ready for the escape attempt, and then (SPOILER ALERT!) it fails! Just when we were all ready for it to succeed, and were prepped for it to succeed, KA-BLAM!!! That was not a wise move. (Spoiler Alert OVER). But then things get quickly better when the monster-plant attacks. That, at least was smart. Get things rollin' fast after a sudden sour note. Good call on Walden there.
Then the end isn't wasn't what we expected, either. But Walden made it understandable, and we end up still liking Otto for his final choice. I also like how we got to know the main characters... though we might have gotten to know Wing, Nigel, and the girls a little better. But, all in all, the main characters were pretty good.

Monster High

Title: Monster High
Author: Lisa Harrison
Rating: Four and a Half Guitars

Sizzilin' Summary:
Frankie Stein is the granddaughter of the original Frankenstein. She is only 15 days old, but she has a teen's body, and has born into a world that hates and fears monsters. She quickly learns this, and of the world of monsters. But when she crushes on a boy from Merston High, things get complicated. Frankie wants the world to change... and a school dance with a "Monster Mash" theme seems the perfect place to start! But things are going to get nasty first... for both her and her monster friends!
Melody is the daughter of famous parents. But she has always felt like the outsider, since she doesn't look pretty, and she has asthma attacks. But after a plastic surgery, and moving to Salem, Oregon, things seem to get better. She even falls in love with her next-door neighbor, Jackson. But then she finds out a monster of a secret in Jackson's family... and Jackson himself!
To add to both girls' trouble, people are now looking out for monsters after a "Frankie sighting". Things are going to get nasty, and quick...

Rockin' Review:
This book was well-written. This book was about the stories of two girls, and they even met time to time, and finally joining together in the end. This was a very good book. I think the author did a good job explaining things, like feelings, and making us feel things. And two stories at once... phew! Nice job, Harrison!
This is obviously going into a series. The last part was exciting, and it obviously was just starting a series. In fact, I wanted the story to go on. I didn't feel completely "full", like I had all my questions answered. But it was a good way to kick off a series.
This book was also unique in the Monster High world. It wasn't like the current Monster High line at all! It took place in the real world. But the change was well written about, and it only made the book more enjoyable. The only major monster teen we don't see is Ghoulia Yelps, but we got to see all the others! In fact, Clawdeen and Cleo are friends in this one, instead of big-time rivals! Nice change!
I really enjoyed this book, and suggest it! It's totally rockin'!!!

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

Title: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Author: Andrew Peterson
Rating: Four Guitars

Sizzilin' Summary:
Janner, Tink, and Leeli are the three Igiby children. They have lived most of their lives at a cottage on the edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness in Skree. The and the rest of the Skreeans are ruled over by the Nameless Evil (called Gnag), and the lizard-men, called the Fangs of Dang. All live in fear of the Black Carriage, which comes and takes people away, never again to be seen.
It all starts on one of the best day of the year, the Dragon Festival. The Igiby trio quickly gets in trouble with one of the Fangs of Dang. But their rescue by their mother opens a ton of questions, when she rescues them with a secret stash of jewelry. The Fangs had taken all other jewelry. But now with an angry Fang after them, and secrets behind certain doors in their hometown of Glipwood, the Igiby three are getting curious, in a bad way, and also into big trouble...
But the trouble thickens when higher powers of evil learn that the Igiby family have a connection to the Jewels of Anniera, which Gnag believes hold great powers.
With a secret in their family, things are only getting more complicated for Janner, Tink, and Leeli...

Rockin' Review:
Basically, it wasn't what I expected. Nor was it like any other fantasy I've read in some parts. It was only closer to the end did we learn about the Igiby's connection to the Jewels of Anniera. Other than that, it was about Janner growing older, and basically, life in the town of Glipwood, and how it's starting to crash for the Igibys. It's a little relaxing. It was well-written, and a nice change.
It's a nice combo of comedy and fantasy. There are a couple of jokes, more than you usually see in a fantasy (like "the Nameless Evil called Gnag" was one of my favorites).
I do think something's a little messed up here. In the end, we find out that the Main Character is the son of the King of Anniera, but his younger brother is the heir to the throne! Janner is supposed to protect his brother. Tink is also one of the more main characters in the book, though Janner usually takes the role of the Main Character. In most fantasies, the Main Character is usually next in line to the throne! This change felt too out of whack for me. Once in the while, there is the changing of main characters we look through in the chapter, but it didn't happen as often as in the Ranger's Apprentice, and it was better marked out in the wording of the text.
Other than the action scenes, it was more of a relaxing read. If you want a change in fantasy, but want it a little different, I suggest this book. I felt it was pretty well-written story (and a bit funny), and I enjoyed it.